The present disclosure relates generally to water extractors, and more particularly to water extractors for use in aircraft air conditioning systems.
In aircraft air conditioning systems, moisture must be collected and drained from engine bleed air, or compressed ambient air, at a location downstream of a condenser to prevent re-entry into the cabin or air cycle machine where the moisture may cause damage. Existing air conditioning systems rely on forcing water particles into an inner diameter of a duct and into a scavenge flow area where the velocity of the water is decreased due to an increasing flow area of the scavenge flow area. An example of a prior art system can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,610. Existing water extractors are necessarily large to account for the increasing scavenge flow areas. Existing water extractors are also made of multiple pieces that are often brazed, welded, and/or bonded, requiring numerous steps to assemble.